A Mermaid's Song
by itsawitch
Summary: Kenshin is a sea captain with a wife, Tomoe, and a small child, Kenji. Tomoe has always been different, but one storm changed and shatters everything Kenshin thought he knew about his wife, and the destiny he must carry through.


_Disclaimer: I have no claim over Rurouni Kenshin, and never will._

Hey y'all - sorry I haven't posted a story in a while. This one I actually have drawn out (like a comic) and wanted to finish the comic before I wrote it into a story. I wrote this when my now ex-boyfriend was in a play, and I was waiting for him to come home. This was written during our last weeks and break-up period, so there's a lot of heart-break, and dark themes. It is, unfortunatly, not the fairy-tale story I would usually write, and thus, should not be treated as such.

Thank you!

* * *

_Tomoe and Kenji were my life..._

Kenshin shielded the sunlight with his hand, smiling at the two figures he knew by heart. A woman with stark white hair, and her hand holding a tinier ones, a little boy stumbling over his own feet, the red of his hair looking like fire in the sunlight.

The woman with the white hair looked over her shoulder and smiled at her husband, picking up her son and placing him on her hip. She walked over, her feet sliding over the wood of the deck, before kissing his cheek gently.

"Good morning, Anata. I'm glad to see you're awake."

_Tomoe was my wife and Kenji was our three year old son. Tomoe's hair was stark white, an appearance that shocked many, but received few questions. I'd assumed she's been a geisha or prostitute who was under torture before deciding suicide. It happened to many, many young girls._

_I remember walking down the streets, near the shore, and seeing the flash of white that was her hair. At first I believed it was something like a ghost. So imagine my surprise when I walked closer, and saw an elegant woman, clad in kimono, feet of white hair from her head._

_She looked over her shoulder, hearing my approach, and I held my hand out, my heart pounding as her eyes bore into my soul. Her skin was as stark as her hair, but her eyes were so dark they were black. I swallowed and told her about my ship. We were sailing tomorrow, we could use a woman's touch. _

_I saw her take a step back towards the cliff and I pleaded to her that she needn't die. She looked uncertainly towards the water, and then she ran at me, wrapping her arms around me and forcing me to take multiple steps back so that I didn't fall. _

_And so I fell in love._

Kenshin laughed and kisses Tomoe's cheek in response, taking Kenji from her and placing his son on his hip. Kenji looked exactly like Kenshin in every way, seeming not to receive any traits from Tomoe at all.

Her lips raised in only a half-smile, and she walked into the shade of the captain's quarters. The door closed with a soft creak, and Kenji wiggled to get on the deck and start exploring.

Putting down his son, Kenshin raised his head to inhale the smell of the sea. The wind blew gently, but in the distance, a wall of solid, dark clouds darkened the ocean a deep black. It would probably hit the ship late into the evening.

_And that was the ending of my life, in that aspect._

* * *

Humming, Tomoe brushed her hair methodically, Kenshin beginning to snore from underneath the blankets. Her dark eyes looked over to her slumbering husband, his deep red hair sprawled along all the cream-color of the pillows.

The deep rumble of thunder rolled across the waves as haunting sounds echoes around the wood of the ship. Tomoe swallowed, unsure of how to react to the ghostly singing.

"Tomoe," Kenshin murmured, half-awake, "Don't worry – it's just the mermaids." Yawning, Kenshin turned over to his side, falling back asleep.

"Of course, Anata, I'm not worried.." Her hand shook as she placed her comb down. Looking out the small, circular window of the cabin, a lightning flash showed the men of the ship pulling the sails, trying to get everything ready before the storm blocked out the moonlight. Walking over to the window, her lips made a firm-line. The glass was cold against her hand, and her breath turned cold in return.

"It's time," she mumbled, and tied her hair into a low ponytail, fully expecting Kenshin to awake in-time for the storm, which was fast approaching. There was a small creak of the bed-springs as she heard his body moving and shifting, getting his clothes back on to get outside.

Her voice shook, "I.. Maybe the men can handle it on their own," Tomoe spun around, trying desperately to use her eyes to get him to go back into bed and fall asleep. Instead, he laughed.

The sound of his feet coming towards her broke her heart as he ran his hand through his hair and smiled. His cheek wore a vertical scar from a half-inch beneath his eye down to his jaw line, and seeing it made her want to cry as another lighting strike hit the water and illuminated the ship.

"I trust Sano and everyone, but water is my element, and I'll never miss a storm," and with that, he opened the door and closed it securely, running out to help his shipmates pull a rope of the mast.

The ship rolled and swayed, as Tomoe looked into a mirror, sitting down and slumping her shoulders. The ghostly wails haunted closer, filling her ears with the methodical rhythm and simple melodies. Running her hand down the mirror, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against the reflective glass.

_Είμαστε οι κυβερνήτες της θάλασσας. Παρεισφρέετε επάνω σε μας, και οι θύελλες το ξέρουν υπό αυτήν τη μορφή. Κρατάτε ένα από το μας δικοί. Μας δώστε το κορίτσι. (Translation: We are the governors of the sea. You are intruders who keep one from us. Give us the maiden.)_

Gasping in her throat, she gripped the part of her kimono that covered her heart.

_Ελάτε, λίγο κορίτσι. Έχουμε το γιο σας. (Translation: Come to us, little maiden. Bring your son.)_

Spinning around, Tomoe looked at the door of Kenji's nursery room. Misao was carefully looking over the little boy every night to make sure if he was unhappy, he would be given every comfort.

* * *

_Τρέξιμο, μαύρος-μαλλιαρό κορίτσι. Κρατάτε μας δικοί, θα σας σκοτώσουμε εάν δεν κινείστε. (Translation: Run, black-haired girl. If you keep us from our prize, we will kill you.)_

Misao screamed, or tried to, anyway, but it died in her throat as the mermaid, grabbed under Kenji's sheets, and took the little boy from her.

"No!" Misao lunged forward, her hands reaching for the crying boy. The mermaid's beautiful face turned into a frown and in a second, sharp teeth bit into the soft skin of Misao's neck. Life drained out of Misao as crimson drops fell and stained onto the wood. Her body fell, her skin already pale, with a dull thump on the ground.

At the taste of blood, the mermaid shuddered and lost her grip on Kenji. Hissing, white hair covered her beautiful features, and when she looked up, they resembled that of a bat.

Her dark, obsidean eyes were small and tiny, her eyes wild. Her nose was pushed back, resembling a bat, in a way, and her lips were drawn back, showing shark-teeth. Her viscious voice chuckled when she locked eyes with Kenji, and she dropped down, stalking him slowly and she began to crawl forward, using her arms to bring her closer, her tail swishing like that of a snake.

"Kenji!" Tomoe's voice rang out and she jumped forward, one of Kenshin's swords in her hands. Slicing, the mermaid's head fell off in a flurry of blood, rolling off in a different corner of the room. Panting, Tomoe looked around, finding Misao's body on the floor, her lips slightly open, her gurgling the only sound that she was still vaguely alive.

Bending down and picking up the young girl, her body limp in Tomoe's arms. Looking at Kenji and jerking her head, she voiced for Kenji to follow her. He made soft whimpers, his little hands still shaking as he reached forward and grabbed the fabric of her kimono, following her clumsily.

"C'mon Misao, stay alive, just a bit longer," Tomoe begged, finally breaking free on the cabin and onto the bow of the ship. Walking over to the edge, she saw the thrashing of tails and screams of the mermaids below, who conjugated wherever Tomoe walked.

_Ναι! Ναι! Μας δώστε τον πρίγκηπα, κορίτσι. Τον αφήστε να μας οδηγήσει! (Translation: Yes! Yes! Give us the prince, maiden! You and him shall lead us to glory!)_

Tomoe planted her feet, screaming out into the storm, "Είμαι ο κληρονόμος σας! Αλλά είστε κακοί, και δεν θα δώσω το γιο μου για να οδηγήσω τις μάχες σας, ή ο ίδιος για να σας δώσω τη δόξα!" _(Translantion: I am your heir! But you are villians, and I will not give my son to lead your battle. I will not give myself to lead you to glory!)_

With her words, she sunk her teeth into Misao's neck, and threw her into the ocean. The mermaids swirled around the body of the young girl, but cast it aside, trashing and chanting.

_Δεν μπορείτε να τον κρύψετε, πριγκήπισσα. (Translation: You cannot hide him, princess.)_

Tomoe looked at Kenji uncertainly, and the boy shook, being able to understand the mermaids' words. Slowly kneeling before her son, she turned him to look at her. Kissing his forehead, she smiled softly, "Kenji, they are right, I cannot hide you forever. They'll sink the ship from right under us, for you."

Kenji shook, shaking his head, "No, momma, please don't let them get me."

Tomoe laughed humorously, looking out across the ocean, "You will be safe, Kenji, my sister will save you, my sister will keep you safe." And with her words, Tomoe gave a hard shove and Kenji lost his balance, falling into the ocean.

* * *

Lightning flashed and there was a commotion on the back of the ship. Kenshin nodded for Sano to take his place, and Kenshin took off to check for Tomoe and Kenji.

Checking the room, the sheets were still as unsettled as they had been when he'd left. Looking around, there was no sign of Tomoe's presence, except for the open door leading to Kenji's nursery. Stepping carefully through, the metallic smell of blood assaulted his nose, and he took a step back, covering it.

Walking forward carefully, the toes of his foot caught something, and he stumbled forward. It made an odd crunch when he kicked it, and a lightning flash illuminated what it was.

The head of a mermaid.

Gagging, Kenshin rushed outside to relieve the contents of his stomach, and heard Tomoe's ghostly voice scream out in a language he didn't understand. Kenji screamed and cried, and it subsided quickly, as though someone interrupted him.

Walking around the corner of a barrel, Kenshin looked over to see Tomoe kiss Kenji's forehead, before pushing him overboard.

His breath caught in his throat, and Kenshin took an uncertain step forward, the blood running from his face as he heard the subtle _splash_ of his son hitting the water. Her pale face and dark eyes met his, and she stood, her mouth in a grim line.

A small tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek as she spoke, "Kenshin, I do not expect you to understand why I have done this, I know in time, you will."

And with that, she pulled the short sword she had used to kill the previous mermaid, and slashed it across her throat. Stumbling backwards, she dropped the blade and tripped. Kenshin watched as she fell overboard, and by the time he looked over the side, he saw only the thrashing of the rest of the mermaids as they held her body.

"Εσείς θρασύ κορίτσι, έχουμε το γιο σας, δεν σας χρειαζόμαστε," _(Translation: You insolent girl, we have your son, we no longer need you.)_ a mermaid hissed, and the looked at Kenshin, grinning, before going under the water. Stunned, he only watched as the body of his wife began to sink under the waves, her white hair disappearing into the darkened depths.

Falling to his knees, Kenshin yelled out to the sky, his hands outstretched as the storm passed, and the sky cleared to a red sunrise.

_I lost them both that day. My wife, my son, my purpose._

* * *

And that's the prologue of my future story. Read and review!

Oh, and if you're wondering what language the mermaids are talking in, it's Greek! I figured no one would understand it, so I used it to be more mysterious.

And that's


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